The present invention discloses an improved method to guide staples around wires. Staple guns are well known as a tool for fastening paper, cardboard, or similar thin materials to wood or other substrates. An additional application for staple guns is to hold electrical wires or similar items in place. The staple is installed over and around the wire. Typically staple guns are effective for only one or the other application. Wire staplers have a notched extension downward from the front end to position the staple over the wire. This feature however prevents the staple from seating flush when used for ordinary materials. A separate standard staple gun is required for that purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,668,290 to Heller, shows a typical staple gun designed for tacking wires. Recess 102 is surrounded by extensions 64 (FIG. 8). The extensions prevent crushing a wire while also preventing flush seating of a staple. Extensions 64 are part of removable cover 24. It would be possible to exchange cover 24 for an equivalent additional component that had no notch and no extensions to enable flush stapling. However this would not be convenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,296 to Wang Sheng, shows a separate "adjustable wire attachment". This attachment can be moved downward to provide the required extension for guiding staples over wires. The attachment is around the front exterior of the tool and adds substantially to the bulk of the device. To make the device more reasonably compact it could be anticipated that a user who only occasionally tacks wires would remove the attachment and then not have it available when needed.
Other removable wire guide attachments are also well known in the retail market.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,137,642 and 3,265,278 show staple guns where a front cover can be pivoted outward to access the interior of the tool body.
A desirable improvement would be to have a wire guide feature which is permanently built into the structure of the staple gun but does not increase the external bulk of the tool nor substantially the cost. It is also desirable that the wire guide can be extended and retracted quickly.
Standard staples have a flat crown to hold materials down. Special wire staples have rounded crowns to better fit a rounded wire. The staples or the staple gun may be designed so that either type of staple can be used in the same tool. Such staple guns are readily available. Whether one or the other format staple is chosen, a wire guide provides the same utility.